Resting In Peace At Incheon International Airport
TWO HOURS OF SLEEP
As I found myself at peace, feeling lighter, happier, and cleansed, after an incredible ten days in the Philippines, I also found myself having failed in only one single goal of my trip: sleep.
Before my trip, I was exhausted. Exhausted not only from the constant nonsense of insolent legal clients who wanted to blame their poor life decisions on me (the guy helping them), but from lack of sleep. Growing up, I had always heard adults complain about not getting enough sleep and I never paid much attention to them. While I was a night-owl myself, I would still get plenty of sleep often waking up at 9:30 or 10am. It wasn’t until recently, as life caught up with me, did I realize I was no longer getting enough sleep. Often, perhaps daily, I would get woken up a couple of times a night, at 2am or 4am, to jump out of bed to clean up after a vomiting cat. As time went on, I found myself turning into a light sleeper, waking up to even cars street racing, doors opening and closing, or even a flushing toilet. This constant interrupted sleep had taken its toll on me both physically and emotionally. I had turned into that frog in boiling water that had put up with these incremental abuses on my body that I hadn’t noticed the effect it was having on my overall quality of life.
Solution: go on a trip by myself so I could sleep. Hotels are an amazing place to sleep, and even better when you’re on the other side of the planet where time zones make it difficult for people to get ahold of you. Well, after ten days in Cebu and Bohol, while I had the time of my life, I realized that I had been going to bed sometimes at 4 or 5am and waking up at 8am because who wants to miss an amazing all you can eat buffet breakfast? Long story short, I hadn’t slept! In fact, I think I slept even less during my trip than at home. Despite that, the energy of the islands and being away from toxic narcissistic empaths had still made me feel rejuvenated and alive!
As I made my way from Cebu to Los Angeles, I had a lengthy layover in South Korea, specifically at the world famous Incheon airport. So accommodating is that airport that they offer free tours of the city and other areas of Seoul so that you don’t have to wait around for hours for your flight. Instead you can see temples, shopping, and city-sights while you wait. I had a seven hour layover so instead, did a quick temple tour before returning back to the airport. I had a lot of hours to spare before my final flight home to Los Angeles, but once again, was realizing that now would be a great time to sleep.
I walked through the airport and in a spacious yet cozy area of the east wing of Terminal 1, I found a bunch of small make-shift bed areas where people were fast asleep. This part of the airport was eerily quiet. After walking around, I finally found an open cushioned sofa/bed just waiting for me. I cleared off a bag that someone had left (probably fooling other travelers into thinking it was actually taken when in fact it wasn’t). I took my backpack, turned it into a hard pillow, took my shoes off, stretched out my body, and closed my eyes, While a Russian family decided to set up shop on the bed next to me and ignorantly began playing music out-loud and talking (I guess they were too dense to realize that literally everyone around them was sleeping including me), I was still able to peacefully doze off….
When I woke up about two hours later, it was the most amazing feeling I had felt in years. I think it felt like a caterpillar after it awakes from being in a cocoon to find it is no longer a caterpillar, but a butterfly. Or perhaps a bear after being in hibernation all winter, to awaken to the sweet spring air. In only two hours this is how I felt. I had awesome dreams. There was a magic in the air of that airport that morning when I gradually opened my eyes. Awakening to the beautiful yet muted silence of the airport, with huge airport windows, and a peaceful energy around you. Nothing can replicate it. I’m not sure what it is about the freedom of travel or the magic that seems to always come with it.
But for two hours, I slept. Waking up from those two hours was the most amazing feeling I had felt in years. Have you ever woken up from sleeping where nothing else mattered? You felt rested, but you felt electric, glowing in the now? I appreciate these moments in life as I realize they don’t come nearly as often as they should. If you ever have a chance, take a nap in the East Wing of Terminal 1 at South Korea’s Incheon Airport. Maybe you’ll feel the same magic that I did.
